Finding, affording and choosing the right editor

Rather than re-inventing the wheel, I make it a practice to Tweet interesting, useful and insightful blog posts that I discover during my daily research to stay current with the latest in writing, editing and publishing.

My favorite resource, a very lively discussion group called Indie Romance Ink (there’s a link to sign up on the Resources page), frequently goes through cycles of discussion about editors.

Most recently, one author reported that s/he is paying $1/$1.50 a page – which, if it’s a normal, double-spaced, 12 pt Courier, 250-word manuscript page, is an amazing bargain.

One of the challenges in choosing editing services is that they can range from $0.004 ($1 a page) to $0.08 a word ($20 a page) and more. And more expensive isn’t necessarily better.

Since I’ve seen quite a few very useful blog posts in the past day or two about choosing an editor, and about getting your manuscript ready for one, I decided to share a bit of the bounty with my site visitors.

But first, a plug for the resources at Indie Romance Ink, a priceless group of smart, generous and well-informed authors: there are a number of highly-regarded editors (and proofreaders, cover designers, and more) in IRI’s database under “Freelance Services.” I recommend checking them out.

Now, the links:

When Is It Time to Hire an Editor, from Romance University, not only discusses when, but also offers nitty-gritty details about what to expect, and what options you have, as well as the steps to take to be sure you’re getting a good match.

A great one about the basics of good writing craft, from one of the best tips & tricks sites I know, and I can tell you from experience that if you have these basics down pat, your editor will ADORE you:

I also regularly Tweet blog posts of useful advice from other editors and authors (I don’t have time to blog these days <g>). If you want more information to help you find the right editor, you can follow my Tweets at @demonfordetails.